Syria’s armed opposition says its fighters have captured the capital, Damascus, and that President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country.
The commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, says all state institutions will remain under the supervision of al-Assad’s prime minister until they are handed over officially.
The announcements come hours after the opposition groups seized several cities in a lightning offensive.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkiye and Russia issued a joint statement earlier in the night, describing the crisis as a “dangerous development” and calling for a political solution.